


Once upon a Dream

by tacomuerte



Series: Femslash February 2017 - Chlonette Edition [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/F, Femslash February 2017, Unrequited Love, hello darkness my old friend, seriously so much angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 21:43:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9568016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tacomuerte/pseuds/tacomuerte
Summary: Four months ago, Queen Bee fell in battle to an akuma and became a modern Sleeping Beauty.This is not something Ladybug is willing to accept.* * *Title from "Once upon a Dream" on theSleeping Beautysoundtrack.Femslash February 2017 Day 2: Asleep





	

Adrien knew he would find his lady here. This is where he would always find her.

In his mind, she was still his lady, but in truth she hadn’t been for four months. It wasn’t as if he felt he had any claim to her any longer either. The Incident had seen to that.

Calling it that was the only way he could bear to think of it. 

“The Incident.” It sounded… cleaner… sanitized…

But it wasn’t clean, was it? The Incident was Ladybug’s first failure. It was his first failure as Chat Noir, too. Neither of them could forgive themselves for what they had failed to do.

And so, every day he would find his lady here in Le Jardin des Tuileries, standing vigil over Queen Bee, revealed since The Incident to the world as Chloé Bourgeois, as she slept. Once The Incident had happened and several days had passed, there was no way to keep her identity secret even though her costume was intact and whole as she slept inside a magical field of energy that put anyone inside to sleep until it could be dispelled.

The akuma responsible had disappeared moments after putting Bee to sleep, not that he blamed the akuma for fleeing. Once Ladybug had realized what had happened—how Bee had sacrificed herself by taking the blast meant to imprison Ladybug, which would have trapped her in an enchanted sleep for as long as necessary until her Miraculous could be claimed—she had done her level best to kill the akumatized woman.

When Adrien had confronted Ladybug about this, she told him that the akuma didn’t deserve mercy and she wouldn’t receive any. 

In a dark part of his heart, he agreed. Chloé was his oldest friend and seeing her trapped this way—frozen and unable to wake until the akuma could be found and cleansed—had nearly broken him. The only reason he held on to sanity was for his lady, but she had grown so distant in her grief that she might as well be the one asleep.

In a very real sense, her heart slept beside Chloé.

Every day, he would come here to find her, and every day he would plead with her that Chloé would never have wanted this for her. Chloé adored Ladybug. She would have done anything for her, and all the proof needed was on display for all of Paris and the world, sleeping forever, waiting for however long it might take for Ladybug to wake her.

Adrien knew that Chloé would tell him that Ladybug would come through for her. Chloé’s faith in Ladybug was absolute, and that as much as anything gnawed at his lady’s heart as day after day without any clue as to the whereabouts of the akuma, she guarded Chloé in her sleep.

He also knew that Ladybug blamed herself for this because of how she had mistrusted Queen Bee. When the new hero appeared so soon after Volpina, it was natural that there were doubts, but Master Fu had vouched for her when all four had gathered at his home to discuss Queen Bee’s place with Ladybug and Chat Noir. Chloé had, to everyone’s surprise, released her transformation as a token of good faith, claiming she didn’t need Ladybug or him to return the gesture.

Chloé had said that she knew she wasn’t worthy of the Miraculous, but that she wanted to change. More than anything, she had said, she wanted to be a better person, to finally be a person that Ladybug could admire.

Ladybug had reacted with repulsion. She told Fu that he was wrong and that he had misjudged Chloé as being worthy of the Miraculous. She had done this in front of Chloé the moment she revealed her identity, and she had went further detailing Chloé’s record of creating the seeds for akumas to plant their dark desires. Ladybug had then listed all of Chloé’s misdeeds, all the hurts she had inflicted on others and all the disdain and revulsion she had shown towards everyone.

And Chloé had taken it. Her smile faltered, but she said that Ladybug was right about everything, that Ladybug had as much cause as anyone to doubt her, but she was going to prove herself.

She did. Over and over, she fought bravely and selflessly. In her civilian life, Adrien had seen the change, too. Chloé apologized to everyone for how she had treated them, and said they didn’t need to forgive her. She only wanted them to know how sincere she was.

Eventually with a few exceptions, Chloé had won over most of their classmates and others. Some she had treated so badly that they couldn’t forgive her, such as Alya and Marinette, but Chloé didn’t resent them for a second.

Nor did she resent Ladybug, who refused to either acknowledge her as a partner or accept her as a Miraculous wielder. Chloé simply tried harder.

And then The Incident happened, and Ladybug was lost along with Queen Bee.

Adrien tried to reach her. He offered to share his identity with her, so they could grieve together and work together to find the akuma both in costume and out. The first time, she refused and had told him to never to bring it up again as long as Chloé slept. Ladybug said she didn’t want to grieve. She was going to fix this, and if Chat Noir didn’t want to be a part of that, she was done with him. The only way she would reveal her identity was the day Chloé woke up, and that would be the day she revealed her identity as she abandoned her Miraculous and gave it back to Master Fu.

He had told himself that the pain was too raw and that it was too soon. Three weeks later, Adrien had offered again. In response, she told him she didn’t need or want his pity, and if he asked again, she would take his Miraculous off him and throw it in Fu’s face.

Adrien did not ask a third time.

He did keep coming here to try and care for her in some small way.

Today as always, he knew where to find her. She stationed herself so she could guard Chloé in her sleep while keeping an eye out for akumas. Hawk Moth had sent akumas to take the Bee Miraculous even though it was nearly impossible for them to stay awake once they entered the field. Hawk Moth was persistent if nothing else.

Ladybug had fought all his akumas and defeated them with increasing ferocity. Nearly a month ago, he had tried again. This time, he akumatized twins. One had struck near the mayor’s office, and as Ladybug and Chat Noir went to stop him, the other akuma had tried to get to the Bee Miraculous.

This time, Ladybug beat both akumas so severely that once the butterfly was cleansed, they needed to be hospitalized, and Ladybug had refused to use her Miraculous Ladybug to heal the damage.

She had stared directly into the camera sent to cover the attack on Queen Bee and told Hawk Moth that was a taste of what he had coming, and she wouldn’t show an ounce of mercy to any akuma that attacked Queen Bee.

The worst part was Alya had been there, and as Ladybug’s biggest supporter, she had tried to comfort Ladybug and said she hoped Ladybug would listen to reason. Ladybug’s answer had been to brush off the hand Alya had offered in comfort and deliver a terse order for her to find a better hero to worship.

That was the last attack. Hawk Moth still tried, of course. As noted, the man was persistent to a fault, but no akuma would obey an order to go after the Bee Miraculous. None of them had a deathwish it seemed.

That was when this uneasy truce had taken hold. Hawk Moth still sent akumas after Ladybug and Chat Noir, but not one of them dared approach Queen Bee. In return, Ladybug didn’t kill them.

Under the circumstances, it was the best deal Hawk Moth and his akumas were going to get.

Adrien approached and stopped a good distance away in plain sight. He waited on Ladybug’s nod before approaching. She had told him that there were too many instances already of shape-changing akumas and akumas who could create illusions, and she wasn’t going to take any chances with Queen Bee’s life on the line.

Seeing her nod and turn back to watch Chloé, Adrien continued until he stood by Ladybug.

Her lack of sleep was apparent. He guessed she hadn’t been eating again, either.

“My Lady,” he began, and as usual she interrupted.

“Stop calling me that,” she said without a hint of emotion although he knew that rage bubbled just below the surface.

“Ladybug,” he tried again. “You need rest. You need food. What good are you to her like this?”

When she didn’t answer, he tried again saying, “Let me stand guard while you sleep. Please, My Lady, I’m begging you. Let me help.”

“No,” she said, and he could sense the anger rising in her tone and body language. He knew better to keep pushing as she continued. “If you want to help, keep looking for the akuma. This is my duty.”

It was the same response as always. If he continued to press, the pattern would keep playing out until she offered to treat him like any other akuma. The first time she had said that, his heart broke. He wasn’t sure he would ever truly recover from her coming to see him as nothing different than the enemies she hated so much.

He settled once again for standing beside her silently, hoping that she would remember how much he cared for her and remembered that she wasn’t facing this alone.

After a while, she broke the silence giving him the first glimpse of hope he had had in months.

“My papa,” she began, voice cracking slightly. “He loves old movies. Have I ever told you that?”

“No, My Lady,” Adrien replied.

“Chat, I won’t tell you again to stop calling me that. Do you understand?”

He nodded, unable to find the words that would allow him to respond without making the situation worse.

She did not turn to see his assent, but continued anyway leaving him to wonder if she was even really talking to him or if he just happened to be there while she spoke.

“He loves old movies. I remember this one he watched. It was a beautiful film. It was about a woman who had been murdered and a police detective assigned to solve the crime. Every day, he would go to her house and look for clues as to what might have happened.

“In her house, there was a portrait of the woman. She was beautiful, and as he worked he couldn’t keep himself from looking at the portrait over and over and over. Eventually, he would simply sit for hours and stare at the portrait.

"Somehow, he had fallen in love with her because as he looked closer and closer at her portrait, he saw different facets of her beauty revealed to him little by little… day by day.”

Chat tilted his head, unsure if he was interpreting Ladybug correctly. “Are you saying you’ve fallen in love with Chloé?”

“I look at her and I see different things every day. I see the subtle curve of her jaw. I see the slight quirk to her lips like there’s always a smile ready to break out. I can almost feel the softness of her cheek as I caress her.”

Ladybug sobbed and Chat gave her time to gather herself.

“I used to only see cruelty in her,” she continued when she was able. “But I was wrong. I’ve learned about her, Chat. I’ve learned how her mother died and how alone she felt. I’ve learned how her father loves her but is so distant with his duties that he might as well not really be part of her life. I’ve learned how lonely she was and how she had one friend. She drove him away, too, did you know that?”

Adrien was silent. He did indeed know, but telling Ladybug that would violate her rule against revealing identities.

“She was afraid, I think. She couldn’t face losing one more person, and even though she had pushed him to go to school with her, fear took over and she pushed him away before he could leave her.

“And then she got this one chance to change everything—to make things better for herself—to get one chance at a fresh start.

“And I ruined it,” she finished.

“How do you think you ruined it, Ladybug?” Adrien asked.

“Because all she wanted was a chance, and it was something I refused to give her, and now she’s asleep probably forever.

“She went to sleep thinking I hated her… and I did hate her… but now… Now you’re right. I love her. How could I come to know her and fall in love with her after she’s already lost to me?”

Ladybug’s voice was ragged, and Chat felt his heart breaking all over.

“You’re going to stand guard over her, and I’m going to find that akuma, do you understand?” he demanded. “You can’t give up now. I won’t let you.”

“Even if we save her, Chat,” Ladybug replied softly. “I don’t deserve her.”

“Why don’t you let her decide that?” Adrien said hotly. “Chloé’s quite capable of saying what she wants, and she will when we wake her up.”

For the first time, Ladybug looked at him with tear-filled eyes. “I want to believe that so much,” she said.

He nodded, choking back his own tears. “I’m not going to let either of you down, Ladybug. Fu has said he’s thinking of bringing in a new Miraculous Bearer. I’ll get their help, and we’ll find this akuma.”

“Good,” Ladybug responded. “You deserve a partner—a true partner.”

Adrien did not tell Ladybug that the only partner he wanted was standing beside him as they spoke. She was already lost to him in that way, but if he had to lose her, then losing her to Chloé was… not okay, but at least it didn’t hurt as much.

He looked at her as she turned back to face Chloé. Everything he needed to know about her feelings shone brightly in her eyes.

Silently, Adrien turned and left. He had an akuma to find. He wouldn’t fail either of the women he loved this time.

**Author's Note:**

> This one is a wee bit dark. I admit that. I own that.
> 
> I hope it's at least somewhat cathartic. I may not be able to leave this one alone, so it may get a sequel at some point if there's interest.
> 
> Again, I am writing each of these in one sitting with light editing. Thanks again to asimaiyat!
> 
> Let me know how you like this!
> 
> Hopefully, I can write two of these tomorrow and be caught up to the challenge!
> 
> p.s.
> 
> Oh, the film Ladybug references is Laura. It's a superb film, and I highly recommend it.


End file.
